Department News Feeds

Overview

The Department News section allows you to publish news articles, announcements, research highlights, faculty and student accomplishments, and other updates on your department website.

Once configured by the Web Services team, editors can create individual news articles using a dedicated news template. Published stories automatically appear on the department's news listing page and can also be displayed throughout the site using news feed components.

Requesting a Department News Feed

Department News Feeds must be configured by the Web Services team before they can be used.

To request a Department News Feed, complete the request form below:

Department News Feed Request Form

After approval, our team will:

• Create a news folder within your site
• Configure the Department News Article template
• Create a news listing page
• Connect the feed to your department website
• Provide access to approved editors

When you create a new article, it will automatically be added to your Department News index page. Visitors can browse the articles and filter them by year and category.

View an example: Electrical and Computer Engineering News

1. Create a New News Article

Navigate to your department's News folder in Modern Campus CMS.

1. Open the News folder.
   
   

2. Select New and choose Department News Article
   
   

3. Enter the information in the New Departmental News Article form.
   
   

2. Complete the Article Setup Form

The form contains several sections. Some fields are required for your article to display correctly in the news listing.

General Page Setup

• Page Title: Enter the title of your article. This will become the main H1 heading displayed at the top of the article page. It is also used as the browser page title and by search engines.

• Description: Add a short description of the page for search engines. This is an SEO description and is separate from the article content.

• Tags: Select any applicable tags. Additional tags can be added later through Page Properties.

• Keywords: Add keywords describing the main topics of the article. These are provided for limited SEO purposes.
  
  
  

Article Multiedit Content

• Featured: Check this box if the article should be identified as a featured article.

• Categories: Select one or more categories that describe the article. Categories include Academics, Alumni, Awards & Honors, Events, Faculty, Other, Publications, Research, Staff, and Students.

  Important: You must select at least one category. Articles without a category will not appear in the Department News index listing.

• Article Description: Enter a short description of the article.

• Article Author: Enter the name of the article's author, if applicable.

• Article Image: Choose an image to represent the article in the news listing.

• Article Image Alt: Enter descriptive alternative text for the image. Describe the information conveyed by the image rather than simply writing "image" or "photo."
  
  
  

Page Filename

The filename is used in the article's web address. Enter a short, descriptive filename using only lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores. Do not include spaces or a file extension. The .pcf extension is added automatically.

File Configuration and Layout Options

• Add Navigation Item: Determines whether a link to the article is added to the site's navigation. The default is Yes.

• Select Layout: Choose Boxed Layout (default), Sidebar (two-column), or Full-Width Layout.

• Overwrite Existing: Leave unchecked unless you intentionally want to replace an existing file with the same name in the same location.
  
  
  

Once you have completed the form, create the new page.

3. Build Your Article Content

After creating the article, Modern Campus CMS will open the new page.

The title you entered in the setup form will automatically appear as the page's main H1 heading. You do not need to add the title again in the content area.

To begin adding your article:

1. Click Main Content.

2. Use the WYSIWYG editor to add and format your article content.

3. Add text, images, links, and other content as needed.

4. You can also use the available components and snippets to create more engaging layouts and incorporate additional content.

5. Save your changes.

You can build your article just as you would edit the main content of a standard website page.

4. Make Changes to Your Article

You can return to the article's setup fields at any time by clicking Multiedit at the top of the page.

Use Multiedit to update information such as:

• Article title

• Featured status

• Categories

• Article description

• Author

• Publish date

• Featured image and its alternative text

For example, if you forgot to select a category when creating the article, return to Multiedit and select one before publishing.

Remember: An article must have at least one category selected to appear on the Department News index page.

5. Publish Your Article

When your article is complete:

1. Save your content.

2. Preview the page and review the formatting, links, and images.

3. Confirm that at least one category has been selected in Multiedit.

4. Click Publish.

Once published, the article will appear in the Department News index listing along with the image selected in the setup form.

6. View Your Department News Listing

The Department News index page automatically displays published articles. Visitors can browse the listings and use the available year and category filters to find articles.

For example, visit the Electrical and Computer Engineering News page to see how the articles and category filters are displayed.

A few things to remember:

• Select at least one category for every article.

• Choose an appropriate article image and provide descriptive alt text.

• The article title is automatically displayed as the H1 heading.

• Use Main Content to build the article itself.

• Use Multiedit to update the article's title, category, date, image, and other setup information.

• Publish the article when you are ready for it to appear on your Department News page.